BLESSED TRINITY…
Make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19
In unison with historic Christian orthodoxy, Article 2 of our Statement of Faith affirms the Triunity of God. We affirm the basic OT monotheistic confession (Ex. 20:1-5; Deut. 6:4), re-affirmed in the NT (James 2:19). There is but One True God and One Divine Essence (Isa. 44:6).
We further stand in unison with historic Christianity in affirming that the Bible clearly teaches that within the Nature of the One God there are three genuine, distinct, co-equal, co-eternal and collateral Divine Persons, as displayed at Jesus’ baptism (Matt. 3:16-17; also note John 1:1-2).
The Triune God who performed mighty redemptive deeds on our behalf is the God that Christians worship. This foundational Christian distinctive is underlined in Trine Immersion—the form of Baptism ordained by Christ (Matt. 28:19).
Nominal “Christian” sects that deny the Trinity are denying God (1 John 2:22-23), and are not to be received as brethren. Rather, they are non-Christians who stand outside of the pale of God’s forgiveness, requiring salvation.
The Trinity is an “irreducible” of the Faith (i.e., something that cannot be broken-down or removed). It is one of those core affirmations that represent the minimal content of Faith that a person MUST affirm if they are to be regarded as a genuine Christian. This affirmation indeed constitutes the predicate that undergirds the entire Gospel Message! Thus, we see that…
Arians (e.g., Jehovah’s Witnesses) who deny the Son’s equality and the Spirit’s Personality are NOT CHRISTIANS!
Modalists (Oneness Pentecostals) who deny the reality of distinct Divine Persons are NOT CHRISTIANS!
Liberals that regard Jesus as a “good man” (later “adopted” as God’s Son) are NOT CHRISTIANS!
Tri-theistic Mormons that deny the essential Unity of Persons, honoring multiple “gods,” are NOT CHRISTIANS!
Terry L. Reese
THE SEVERITY OF LOVE
For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, And He flogs every son whom He receives. Hebrews 12:6
When trials weigh heavily upon us, it is easy to mistake God’s discipline for His displeasure. We often look at our hardships and assume that God has abandoned us or that His affection has waned. Yet, Scripture flips this human logic completely on its head, revealing that our difficulties are actually undeniable proof of His devotion.
Every trial placed in our path is deeply rooted in the Father's love. God proved the magnitude of this love on the cross, giving His only begotten Son so that we might have eternal life (John 3:16). But His love is not passive; it is an active, pursuing force designed to ground us deeply in His grace, filling us to all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:19).
Even when God allows or causes grief, He does not reject us forever. As Lamentations 3:32 reminds us, “He will have compassion according to His abundant lovingkindness.” Our God is not a detached spectator of our pain. In all of our afflictions, He Himself is afflicted (Isaiah 63:9). He steps into our suffering, lifts us and carries us through the storm.
We can rest securely knowing that Yahweh is in our midst, rejoicing over us with shouts of joy and quieting us with His deep affection (Zephaniah 3:17). The hardships you face today are not signs of abandonment, but the intentional shaping of a loving Father. It is proof that you are loved by Him. Trust His grip, embrace His correction, and find comfort in the severity of a love that refuses to leave you as you are.
Ethan Kallberg
SUPER TREATS FROM GOD
Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:31
On October 31, 1517 a German monk named Martin Luther began a reformation by nailing his 95 Theses on the door of Wittenberg’s Castle Church. Out of deep personal conviction following his study of Romans, he publicized his grievances with the Catholic Church. Luther decried both indulgences and purgatory as unbiblical. Thus began the Protestant Reformation, calling Christianity back to its Scriptural roots. Luther gave us three of the five crucial pillars or “solas” that we all need to pay close attention to and never forget.
*Sola Scriptura (By Scripture alone). The Bible alone is the final and all-sufficient authority for the church on matters of faith and practice (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:21).
*Sola Fide (By Faith alone). Luther was transformed when he discovered the truth that “For by grace you have been saved through FAITH and this not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
*Sola Gratia (By Grace alone). Luther was thoroughly humbled by Paul’s teachings in Romans 3:24, “Being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.”
*Sola Christus (Through Christ alone). As Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through ME” (John 14:6). Through Christ we have access to God’s throne not needing any other human or angelic intermediary.
*Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God alone). We cannot take one bit of credit for our salvation or Christian life (1 Corinthians 1:26-31). All glory and praise goes to our Lord! Hallelujah!
Many today celebrate Reformation Day on October 31 rather than Halloween. You can have your tricks and even your treats on Halloween, but I will take the real “treats” of the “Five Solas” and God’s holy, infallible, inerrant and unchangeable Word any day! How about you?
Bob Kulp
GIVING AND GOING
Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, except one who will receive one hundred times as much now in the present age—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last, first.”
Mark 10:29–31
A thought that has weighed on me lately has come from contemplating my level of commitment to the Great Commission. When a missionary leaves home, family, comfort and security to carry the gospel, the sacrifice is obvious. They cross borders, learn languages, endure loneliness and often unsafe conditions, and often live with uncertainty. And while most of us know that we are either "Goers" or "Senders" I think the church in North America at large has forgotten that sending is also a calling to sacrifice.
E. M. Bounds wrote, “Prayer is pressed on the Church for laborers to be sent into the harvest of the Lord. The harvest will go to waste and perish without the laborers, but the laborers must be God chosen, God sent, and God commissioned. But God does not send these laborers into His harvest without prayer. The failure of the laborers is owing to the failure of prayer. The scarcity of laborers and the harvest is due to the fact that the Church fails to pray for the laborers according to His command.”
I believe that those who are going should be supported by equally committed senders who invest in the same goals with the same level of sacrifice. True partnership means shared cost. Not everyone is called to cross an ocean, but every believer can enter the sacrifice.
The missionary goes in obedience, and the Church sends in obedience. Both stand before the same Lord, serve the same mission and share responsibility for the same harvest. May our support reflect the seriousness of their calling and the worthiness of Christ, for whom they gladly go.
Joe Ensley
PRAYER
And when you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore, do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
Matthew 6:5-8
George Whitfield who was a Calvinistic evangelist and John Wesley the Armenian evangelist were preaching together and rooming together in the same boarding house. One evening after a particularly strenuous day the two of them returned to the boarding house exhausted and prepared for bed. When they were ready, each knelt beside the bed to pray. Whitfield, the Calvinist, prayed like this: "Lord, we thank Thee for all those with whom we spoke today, and we rejoice that their lives and destinies are entirely in Thy hand. Honor our efforts according to Thy perfect will. Amen."
After that prayer, Whitfield rose from his knees and got into bed. Wesley, who had hardly gotten past the invocation of his prayer in that length of time, looked up from the side of the bed and said, "Mr. Whitfield, is this where your Calvinism leads you?" And then he put his head down and went on praying. Whitfield stayed in bed and went to sleep. About two hours later, Whitfield woke up and there was Wesley still on his knees beside the bed, sound asleep. Whitfield shook him by the shoulder and said to him, "Mr. Wesley, is this where your Arminianism leads you?"
How do you pray?
Ike Graham
RESPONDING TO OPPOSITION
May the God who has caused His name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who stretches out his hand to change it, so as to destroy that house of God in Jerusalem. Ezra 6:12
At that time Tattenai, the governor of the province beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues came to them and spoke to them thus, “Who issued you a decree to rebuild this house and to complete this structure?” (Ezra 5:3)
There is a real enemy who would like nothing more than to influence people and governments to either harm or destroy God’s people. Pharaoh ordered the death of every Jewish baby boy. Haman wanted the king to sign an edict calling for the genocide of the Jewish people. Herod ordered the death and destruction of every male child two and under in Bethlehem. The Sanhedrin ordered the arrest of many in the early Church. In the book of Ezra, the opposition was manifested by the attempts to stop the reconstruction of the Temple.
So how should we respond to this opposition? First, Paul tells us to pray. “First of all, then, I exhort that petitions and prayers, requests and thanksgivings, be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority” (1 Timothy 2:1-2). Second, Jesus tells us to love our enemies. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…” (Matthew 5:43-44). Finally, God tells us to trust Him because He is in absolute control of every situation. “Yahweh nullifies the counsel of the nations; He frustrates the thoughts of the peoples. The counsel of Yahweh stands forever, the thoughts of His heart from generation to generation” (Psalm 33:10-11).
Philip Moeller
AVOIDING WRONG TURNS INTO MOAB
But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first. Revelation 2:4-5
In life we can make wrong choices/turns which lead us to places we should not be. We find such an example in Ruth 1 during the time of the Book of Judges when “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). Here we meet Elimelech, Naomi and their sons Mahlon and Chilion (Ruth 1:1-2).
A severe famine and drought befalls the land of Israel as God’s people test God’s promise yet another time (Deuteronomy 28:1-14). Elimelech chooses to move his family to Moab (Ruth 1:1). This was definitely a serious wrong turn. Why? Though related to Israel through Lot (Genesis 19:30-38), Moab was a dreaded enemy of Israel hindering their progress to the Promised Land through the false prophet Balaam (Numbers 22-25), under God’s curse (Deuteronomy 23:3-6) and worshippers of Chemosh, a violent god who demanded child sacrifices. This indeed was a bad move! It proves to be fatal as Elimelech dies, and his sons after they had married their pagan wives, Ruth and Orpah (Ruth 1:3-5). Naomi and her family had left Bethlehem for these tragic events.
Where is YOUR Moab? Where do you go to find relief in the trials of life? The world, the flesh and the devil are constantly promoting “trips to Moab” persuading us that “You deserve a break!” Thus we retreat to sinful activities and relationships feeding “the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life” (1 John 2:15-17). Are you in a spiritual Moab today? Isn’t it time to go back home to the Lord? Just like Naomi and Ruth (Ruth 1:6-18), your Moab experience can end. It’s always time to make that RIGHT turn back to the Lord and get out of Moab as quickly as you can!
Bob Kulp
BACKGROUND CHECK
His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things,
I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’
Matthew 25:23
As our district camp dates approached, the staff got occupied making sure that all camp staff had an acceptable background check on file. It is a sad reality that some people sometimes have to be rejected from doing a ministry because of a past problem.
On the other hand, if a past record includes a decision for Christ, we know that the past is forgiven. What's more, the good works done for Christ using the spiritual gifts that He gave us will be a determining factor concerning what we will be doing in the Millenium. This parable actually includes verses fourteen to thirty and has some interesting possibilities. For example, both the slave who was given five talents and the slave who was given two talents were put "in charge of many things". It seems that there is equal rule in the Millenium, even though our gifts and rule in this life vary. Secondly, our rule and reign in the Millenium will evidently be based on what we are given in this world, as the slaves' future activities were assigned based on what they were given in this world to do. (This probably refers to spiritual gifts, since His gifts are without repentance, Romans 11:29). Thirdly, our future assignments will be looked at as a "joy" since the curse of Genesis 3:17-19 will be removed. Fourthly, we see that the rewards are given to "slaves" - those who serve - not to any who use the lack of obedience to the Master as an excuse to take over His possessions.
When Christ checks your background, what will He find?
Davy L. Troxel
OVERCOMING SPIRITUAL FATIGUE
And you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons,
“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, Nor faint when you are reproved by Him.
Hebrews 12:5
“I’m done!” It is a phrase often spoken when the weight of life seems too heavy to bear. It is a phrase that I strongly dislike. We hear it in marriages when difficulties mount and a spouse decides to walk away. We see it when believers face prolonged trials and choose to throw up their hands in defeat.
Hebrews 12:5 warns us not to “faint when you are reproved by Him” which mean to lose your motivation to accomplish a godly goal, to become discouraged or to give up. This is the danger of dismissing God’s discipline. Regarding lightly His discipline is active, but fainting is a passive slide into spiritual fatigue. When we give up, we doubt the goodness of God, lose hope and allow bitterness to take root. We begin to resent our circumstances instead of finding our contentment in Christ.
Do not let the slow creep of discouragement settle into your heart. Do not let difficult circumstances dictate your response to life. When trials threaten to break your spirit, stop and examine the situation through the lens of God's intentional design.
Instead of walking away, look upward and ask three critical questions (2 Timothy 3:16):
· Is there sin in my life that requires correction? (Reproof/Correction)
· What valuable lesson is God trying to show me? (Teaching)
· Is God using this trial to build a faith bigger than myself? (Training in Righteousness)
God's discipline is never a sign of His absence; it is proof of His active involvement in your growth. When you feel tempted to say, “I'm done,” remember that the Master is still at work, shaping your endurance and preserving your soul.
Ethan Kallberg
A BODILY RESURRECTION
Even after my skin is destroyed, yet from my flesh I shall behold God,
whom I myself shall behold, and whom my eyes will seem and not another. Job 19:26-27
As believers we know that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8), but sometimes we might think of the presence with the Lord as just a spiritual existence. Our bodies stay here and are buried, but our souls get to see Jesus face-to-face. While that is true, it is also true that we will have a body of some kind. And then one day, our physical body that has turned to dust will be resurrected (see John 5:28-29 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16).
Job knew and understood this truth, as our text for today makes plain. How could he be so confident that from his flesh he would see God after his body was destroyed? The previous verse answers: “As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will rise up over the dust of this world.” Job fully anticipated seeing that moment when Jesus comes to rule and reign over this entire earth. He knew he would see it with his own eyes; it would not just be a spiritual experience.
We have the same guarantee. In fact, we will be coming down from heaven with Him (see Revelation 19:14); and then we will be ruling and reigning with Him, here on this earth (see Revelation 20:6), in our perfect resurrected bodies. Spend time today thinking about the guarantee we have of a bodily resurrection and how that impacts our thoughts of the future and our lives today.
Joshua Steiner
LOVE THE UNGODLY?
You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore, you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:43-48
John Wesley was an evangelist in early Colonial America before the Revolutionary War. He was returning home from a service one night and was stopped by a thief. The thief, however, found his victim to have only a little money and some Christian literature. As the bandit was leaving, Wesley called out, “Stop! I have something more to give you.” The surprised robber paused. “My friend,” said Wesley, “you may live to regret this sort of life. If you ever do, here’s something to remember: The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin! The thief hurried away, and Wesley prayed that his words might bear fruit. Years later, Wesley was greeting people after a Sunday service when he was approached by a stranger. What a surprise to learn that this visitor, now a believer in Christ as a successful businessman, was the one who had robbed him years before! The former thief said, “I owe it all to you.” Wesley responded, “Oh no, my friend, not to me, but to the precious blood of Christ that cleanses us from all sin!”
This is why we love those who persecute us, despise us, look down on us or treat us badly; namely, that they may come to faith in Christ through our testimony in both word and deed. How are you doing?
Ike Graham
JUDGEMENT’S STORM
Behold, the storm of Yahweh has gone forth in wrath,
Even a whirling storm; It will whirl down on the head of the wicked. Jeremiah 23:19
My parents, brother and I lived in a unique house. It was basically a small ranch perched on top of two garages with a stairway between them to access the living quarters above.
There had never been a tornado anywhere near our town, so when the warning went out on the radio everyone ignored it. The Little League around the corner from us was playing their games. We were having supper next to a window where we could see the sky was clear. Then, all of sudden, it started getting dark quickly and a violent rain began. We rushed to close the windows all over the house. The warning siren began. The window I had just secured in the bathroom blew out and crashed on the floor behind me, shattering. We heard the “train.” Dad yelled to get downstairs. I flung the door open, leaped out onto the stairway hitting a stair about halfway down and leaping from there to the bottom, I landed in a heap. We all made it to the bottom of the stairway. But by then it was over. The sky was clear, but a strange rose hue. We looked out and saw destruction everywhere. Our weeping willow trees and our heavy picnic table were gone. Much of our neighbor’s roof was in my bedroom. Except for some broken windows and some shingles missing, by God’s grace, our house was spared.
The Bible uses a great storm as a picture of God’s wrath and judgement. It will be terrifying. The wicked (including many “good” people) will not be spared. May we be the siren of warning while there is still time!
Jeffrey Eno
THE JEWISH WEDDING
Behold, I am coming like a thief. Revelation 16:15a
The Chosen People had their own special way of falling in love and getting married. The Jewish Messiah follows the same suit.
A. The Bride is Chosen & Purchased.
1. The chosen Bride accepts the Bridegroom’s marriage proposal, and he pays a suitable dowry unto her father. The couple is sealed in a binding covenant that awaits future consummation.
2. Likewise, the Chosen Bride, the Church (Eph.1:4), is betrothed unto Christ, who paid the price for her redemption (Acts 20:28b).
B. Preparing a Place.
1. The Bridegroom returns to his father’s house, where he prepares a place for his Bride, constructing a Bridal Chamber. Its completion would be subject to his father’s approval.
2. Likewise, Jesus returned to His Father’s house, preparing a place for us (John 14:1-3). The Father appoints the times and seasons (Acts 1:7; Matt. 24:36).
C. The Engagement: Personal consecration and preparation!
1. The veiled-Bride awaited the Bridegroom’s coming, owing him complete fidelity. Adultery was a serious issue (Matt.1:18-20; Deut.22:23-24)!
2. Likewise, the Church owes Jesus its love, fidelity, and total commitment (2 Cor.11:2; Rev.2:4; 1 John 2:28).
D. The Beloved Thief Returns (Rev.16:15; 19:7-9)!
1. One night, with the blowing of the shofar, the Bridegroom returns. The Bride has carefully maintained oil for her lamp, ever ready for his coming (Matt. 25:1-13). They withdraw to his Bridal Chamber for 7 days, consummating their union.
2. Likewise, the Rapture is pre-Trib and imminent (Matt. 25:13; 1 Thess.4:16-17; 5:2)—Jesus can return at any moment! The Bride is rescued from the wrath to come (1Thess. 5:9), enjoying unveiled, face-to-face intimacy with the Lord (Rev.22:4) celebrating the Marriage Supper of the Lamb!
E. The Couple Gloriously Emerge for Formal, Public
Presentation—forever enjoying each other’s presence!
Terry L. Reese
EMBRACING THE HAND OF THE MASTER
And you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, Nor faint when you are reproved by Him.”
Hebrews 12:5
Why does a loving God allow His people to suffer? When hardships strike, our immediate response is often resentment or confusion. We assume God’s ultimate goal is our physical comfort. However, Scripture reveals a profound, life-giving truth: God uses difficult circumstances not to hurt us, but to shape us.
God allows trials for four distinct purposes. First, He uses pain for teaching, delivering valuable lessons that protect us from far worse spiritual disasters. Secondly and thirdly, He uses suffering for reproof and correction. When we harbor hidden sin or ignore His gentle prompts, He uses loving discipline to call us back. Finally, trials serve as training in righteousness, acting as a spiritual gymnasium that builds endurance and strengthens our faith.
In Hebrews 12:5, “regard lightly” means to look down on or hold in contempt. We despise God’s training when we complain, demand an easy life or question His character. This was the error of Job’s wife, who urged her husband to “curse God and die”. Job experienced immense agony and even cursed the day of his birth, yet he never sinned with his lips by questioning God’s goodness, holiness, or sovereignty (Job 2:9-10).
Instead of asking, “Why is this happening to me?” like Job, we must learn to ask, “What is God trying to teach me?” His training is designed to strip away our self-absorption and self-reliance, ultimately conforming us to His character. Do not faint under His correction. Embrace the hard, beautiful work of the Master’s hand, knowing that His discipline is always rooted in perfect love.
Ethan Kallberg
TRUTH LIBERATES
Then we told them accordingly what the names of the men were who were rebuilding this building. Ezra 5:4
I have a friend who, while growing up, considered himself an expert artist. However, he had two problems. First, his art work was often displayed on the house walls with crayon. Second, he never considered his artistic works complete until his name was prominently scribbled next to his masterpiece. This unintentional self-incrimination helped his mother correctly identify the perpetrator and provided an opportunity for my friend to admit his guilt. Truth is liberating!
The Jews who were rebuilding the Temple also understood the power of truth. When their enemies questioned them about who was building the Temple, they readily gave them a list of their names. Just imagine what this admission could cost them. They were willing to have their names sent to King Darius as evidence that they were doing something that a previous king had ordered to stop (Ezra 4:21). How could they do this? I have two thoughts. First, they knew what God had said. God’s prophets had encouraged them to build and they had taken that message to heart. No amount of pressure from the government was going to stop them from doing what God had commanded. Secondly, they knew that an earlier king had granted them the full authorization to build the Temple (Ezra 1:2-4). Knowing the truth emboldened them. Proverbs 28:1b says “the righteous are secure as a lion.” Jesus said, “The truth will make you free” (John 8:32). Do you want freedom? Live the truth!
Philip Moeller
FULL DISCLOSURE
But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer
for My name.” Acts 9:15–16
I love the story of Ananias being told to go meet with Paul. Not only was this a guy with a pretty scary rap sheet, but this was not an Osteen-feel good story. Sure, Paul was chosen to carry Christ’s name, but that calling came with a cost. His mission would open doors, change lives and advance the gospel, yet it would also bring rejection, hardship and suffering. Jesus, through Ananias, did not recruit with a polished promise of comfort. He told the truth.
We must do the same when we witness. The gospel is good news, but following Jesus is not an invitation to an easier life. It is a call to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him. We should never present Christ as merely the solution to temporary discomfort while avoiding His rightful claim over every part of life. I had the opportunity to preach through Mark 8:34-38 to a youth group summer camp and was freshly amazed at how an understanding of what discipleship is keeps evangelism from becoming a sales pitch, and reaches hearts in a genuine way.
Christ offers forgiveness, reconciliation with God, eternal life, and the joy of knowing Him. But He also calls us to obedience, sacrifice and endurance. Just like the message Ananias was to deliver, we are not selling a product or trying to secure a quick decision. We are calling people to the King who saves completely and commands fully.
Let us speak of grace without hiding surrender, joy without hiding hardship and salvation without hiding discipleship. Christ is worth following, even when following Him costs us everything, because He gave everything to rescue us.
Joe Ensley
REBUILT
My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor faint when you are reproved by Him. Hebrews 12:5
The fourth reason God allows trials in our lives is to train us in righteousness. Difficult circumstances can build a resilient faith. Consider a weightlifter. When training, they strain their muscles to the absolute limit. This intense exertion causes microscopic tears in the muscle fibers. During a period of rest, the body repairs these tears, rebuilding the muscle even stronger than before to prepare for future heavy loads. This is a brilliant design from our perfect Creator.
Spiritually, God trains our faith much like a bodybuilder develops muscle. He may place you in challenging seasons that tear at your comfort and strain your faith to its limit. Job endured this exact type of faith-building strain. Satan stripped away his wealth, children and health, yet Job refused to curse God. When God finally responded from the whirlwind, He did not explain why the suffering happened. Instead, He revealed His majestic sovereignty. Job collapsed in humble worship, declaring, “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; but now my eye sees You” (Job 42:5). His faith emerged beautifully reinforced.
We see this same resilience in church history. In 1812, a devastating fire destroyed William Carey’s entire printing ministry in India, reducing years of irreplaceable Bible translations to ashes. Stunned but undeterred, Carey famously noted that traveling a road a second time is done with greater ease. He resolutely declared, “We are cast down but not in despair.” The loss catapulted his mission to global awareness, and the work was rebuilt larger than before.
Whether you face financial ruin, the loss of a loved one, a severe medical diagnosis or persecution, remember that your Father is training you in righteousness. Do not lose heart when testing comes. Trust the process, embrace the spiritual growth and press forward.
Ethan Kallberg
GO THE EXTRA MILE
And if anyone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your garment also.
And whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. Matthew 5:40-41
Billy Strachan was born in Scotland. He was an entertainer and depended heavily on alcohol until he came to Jesus in the 1950s. He came to the U.S. to teach at a camp in Minnesota. At the home where he stayed was a college student by the name of Ruth who worked for the family serving the guests. She had heard Billy speak on the Holy Spirit in the Christian’s life. At supper that night, she said to Billy, “Did you mean what you said about self-control?” He said, “Well, yes I did.” At that point, she poured the pitcher of milk in her hand all over his head, and it ran down over his only suit. He excused himself and went to his room. There, he kicked the bed, hit his head on the wall and told God what he thought of that girl. After a bit, he washed off, wiped off his suit, combed his hair and went back down thinking, “There, how’s that for graciousness.” Ruth came over and said, “Well, you controlled yourself very well, didn’t you?” Billy said, “Yes, because I meant what I said. Christ is my control.” She said, “Well, if He can do it once, then He can do it again.” Then she threw a pitcher of water at him. Billy went back to his room. The leader came up and said, “I don’t know what’s going on. But she’s down there crying.” Billy said, “Let her alone. God is doing something in her heart.” The same thing happened every night that week at supper. By Friday, Billy didn’t want to go to supper. The head of the home was going to fire the girl, but Billy said, “No, God is at work in her heart.” Then, Matthew 5:40-41 came to mind. So, on Friday, Billy showed up for supper with a bucket of water. The tension in the room was high. Ruth was reaching for a towel. Billy said, “Ruth, I have no idea of why you are doing what you are doing. But I want to apologize for making you get your own water.” At that point she broke down in tears again and Billy lead her to true faith in Jesus. She had been leaning on a religious system and not the Savior. She had ritual, but no relationship with the Redeemer.
Ike Graham
CHRIST WINS BY A NECK
How numerous are Your works, O Yahweh! In wisdom You have made them all; the earth is full of Your possessions. Psalm 104:24
While in seminary, I had a job that involved a lot of idle time. To occupy my mind in those moments, I would mentally design the mechanics of a puppet that I was building. This was a full-size baby giraffe, with winking eyes, wagging tail, nodding head, a moveable neck and of course a working mouth. In researching the animal's proportions, I learned a lot about giraffes. I called her Sera because she was from southern Serengeti and so naturally I had her speak with a southern accent.
In order to live with such a long neck, the giraffe has to be born with an oversized heart, oversized lungs, and special valves in the neck to control blood flow. This means that the neck could not have just been a mutation, or - as evolutionists claim - the result of having to reach higher vegetation. Without the other special organs, the long neck would have caused the first giraffe to die of suffocation or brain hemorrhage at birth. On top of that, an animal with all of these "accidental mutations" at once would have to find somewhere in the world another such animal with all of the same mutations, and of the opposite sex, or the poor thing could not reproduce. Obviously, the odds of this are beyond impossible. No creature can tell itself ahead of time what kind of biological equipment it needs in order to survive.
To say that creation is just a series of accidents is not only ignorant, it is just plain foolish. Only divine design could accomplish what we observe in nature.
Davy L. Troxel
THE ROLE OF THE FAMILY MAN
Therefore look carefully how you walk, not as unwise but as wise… do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Ephesians 5:15, 17
The godly family man provides and protects (Ephesians 5:25-33). If not, he has denied the faith. This not only includes his immediate family, wife and children, but extends out to the widows, his or her mother (1 Timothy 5:8). This can include incredible sacrifice and effort on his part which as a Christian man he does so willingly. This sort of love is commendable, the type of love that is seen in Christ (John 3:16). Agape love is less about feelings and more about duty and action.
Second, his actions and attitude toward his wife are considerate. In God's sight she is a co-heir with the man of the grace of life. He is to live with her in an understanding way. In short, he is to be kind. If not, God does not hear his prayers.
Third, a godly man's actions and attitude toward his children are balanced (Ephesians 6:4). They are not overly harsh or overly lenient. Both these extremes can provoke children to wrath. Children who do not sense their father's love often exhibit rebellion.
A final comment. How does proper headship actually look in the proper family man? He is not domineering, and he is not laissez-faire in headship. While holding the line on proper things, he instructs and corrects in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Everyone, including himself, needs forgiveness and a track back to reconciliation (2 Timothy 3:16). Walking in wisdom and walking in the spirit which includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. What kind of family man are you?
Russ Sumpson